And It Slipped Away

This one hurts. Big time. It was going to be a big win and it slipped away. The Canadiens blew a 2-0 lead and lost in overtime 3-2. With Ottawa’s tying goal coming with the goalie pulled and just 23 seconds remaining on the clock.

It caps a lousy day that began at 5 a.m. when I dropped a full cup of coffee on the floor.

Montreal had jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second period with goals by P.K.Subban and Alex Galchenyuk, and things were looking good. Carey Price wasn’t overly busy but was coming up big when called upon. The guys were going, they were forechecking and showing so much improvement over their previous effort.

Visions of a tied series danced in my head.

But it was too good to last. Montreal began to sit back like they were playing for Jacques Martin again, and were outshot 13-4 in the final frame. And not long after the third period got underway, I could sense things might not go so well. Proof that sometimes some of my senses still work.

They were holding on instead of full speed ahead, and the Canadiens can only win when it’s full speed ahead. We needed one more goal, and four shots in the third doesn’t cut it. Their goalie’s pretty good, but he wasn’t exactly bombarded.

Ottawa closed the gap on a puck that I say was illegally directed by an Ottawa skate, but the referee went upstairs and it was called a goal. And with 23 second left and the goalie pulled, the puck found the back of the net. One of life’s lousy moments.

This team is now going to have to bring this bummer to a screetching halt, do a nice u-turn, play like they can, and grab game five. Make it a series again. I’m not ready for no more Habs until next fall.

Unfortunately, all this good stuff might have to be done without Brandon Prust, who left the game in great pain, holding his midsection, and Carey Price also after pulling a groin or something. So we’ll add them to the list of walking wounded and go to plan c or d.

Price was replaced by Peter Budaj for the overtime and imagine the feel-good story it would have been if Budaj could have stoned the Sens in overtime and won the big game. But this isn’t a Disney movie. Unless you’re the Senators, then maybe it is.

We need something good to happen in the days to come. I need a new coffee mug, and maybe it’ll be a lucky one.

Random Notes:

Shots on goal – Ottawa 34, Montreal 28.

I thought David Desharnais showed a bit more than he has lately.

I never got a chance earlier, but congratulations to P.K. Subban for being one of the three finalists for the Norris Trophy. P.K. is up against Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang and Ryan Suter of the Minnesota Wild, but we all know our man deserves it.

Sorta like they STOPPED skating after their 2 goal outburst.Had they kept the pedal to the floor THAT GOAL would have not been a heart breaker!! But the odds are changing now.Just hope they compete!! Oh see Gomez whack a Canuck on the bench?He’s having fun again.

I didn’t think that it was possible for me to be MORE disheartened than I was after Game Three, but that is the case today, because Montreal was the better team yesterday. There is no way that second goal should have counted–I don’t know what the people in Toronto were watching, but it clearly was not a replay of the goal. He CLEARLY directed the puck into the net with his skate. And, I don’t know if you’ve seen photos of the second goal, but right before it, the Ottawa forward had grabbed Price’s stick. How was THAT goal allowed to stand??? I won’t even get into the bogus icing call right before the “tying goal”, where you can clearly see Karlsson loafing down the ice (again, that is supposed to negate an icing call). Montreal got one power play the entire game, despite its player being interfered with the entire night. ONE!! And it wasn’t even a full power play.

I never, ever blame refs/officials for when my teams lose, but sorry, that was the case last night. That was a disgrace, and the NHL should be ashamed of itself (even though we know that it won’t be).

This game was complete bullshit. We got seriously jobbed here. It was so bad that MB went downstairs to give the head of Officiating a ton of hell.

We may not have won the game anyways, but jesus did the Sens get away with a ton of stuff. I know all fans say that, but last night was some of the most appalling ref work I have ever seen. I was LIVID last night like you would not believe.

If Prust is gone and Price is gone and some of the team aren’t 100%, I think we’re dead. I know it wasn’t our year realistically, but to go out like this is just awful.

I hope a bird shits on Peel’s head every day for the rest of his life.

HIO hasn’t told me I’ve been banned but they are not posting any of my comments, soI’ve come here.

Unfortunately no mention from Boone as to why we lost. It certainly looked to my objective eyes like Zibinejad did kick the puck into the net. His foot was moving forward and not in a stopping motion when he directed the puck into the net . But that’s not why we lost. Although Ottawa had 13 shots in the 3rd period they did not have a good scoring chance until that goal.

The reason Ottawa tied the game is because, after the 2nd icing in the last minute, Plekanec stayed on the ice even though he had plenty of time to get off. As the play developed I couldn’t believe my eyes when he stayed on the ice after winning the face off and the puck going into Ottawa’s end. He was dead tired and offered no resistance as Ottawa moved into our end. Carey Price then overplayed the puck – which is what he does when he’s fragile – and the game is tied.

Plekanec’s shift lasted 1:24. I love the guy but do not understand why he stayed on the ice when the puck was in Ottawa’s end after more than one minute of that shift had elapsed.

Leaf Fan, I don’t understand the refs and linemen. These guys are paid well to officiate in the best league in the world. You know what I miss? The full programs. They’re little crappy things now. The big ones could be tossed on the ice and maybe hit the odd zebra’s head.

Terry, you’re sure welcome here. It’s a good point about Plekanec. I didn’t clue in on this and thanks for pointing it out. Those couple of icing calls that shouldn’t have been icings were all part of the ridiculous circus that transpired. But Montreal now has to regroup and win on Thursday. Who’s hurt and who’s not is unclear, but they have to win with whomever dresses.

Darth, it was bullshit. But our guys needed to come out in the third and give their all. Unfortunately they sat back and let the senators and the officials chip away. They’re gonna win on Thursday. Although it would be nice if we were a bit healthier so I’m not 100% convinced things are going to go well.

Ian, the icings were pathetic, the kicked goal was pathetic, and the people in Toronto who review things are pathetic. I’m with you, as disheartened as can be. But they can beat this team and I’m praying they will. It’s not impossible, just really darn difficult considering the circumstances.